Top 3 Solutions for Knee Pain

We all experience knee pain at some point in our life. No one is immune. Below, we discuss some self-care tips you can perform on your own to try and avoid surgery. But if it does progress to that point, 2 common surgeries of the knee are detailed, one using stem cells.

Self-Care

Most everyone will want to avoid surgery when they have knee pain. Usually, that is a possibility. When you begin to notice pain in your knee, take action and implement these steps to prevent it from getting worse.

• Rest: Take a break. Avoid the aggravating activity for several days. Doing this may be enough to clear it up.
• Ice or heat: Heat and ice can both have their advantages when it comes to knee pain. But which one to use? Use an ice pack or cold compress on the knee to reduce swelling and pain. Ice is best used with injuries. Elevate the knee above the level of the heart to use gravity to assist with inflammatory fluids clearing out from the area.

Heat can also help with pain, especially when knee soreness is a result of joints. Heat also helps with mobility.

• Flexibility exercises: Stretch your muscles and keep them loose. Only stretch after your body is already warmed up, stretching itself is not a warmup to perform before exercise. Stretching cold muscles can cause injury.
• Strengthening exercises: Keeping the muscles around your joint strong is just as important as keeping them flexible.
• Orthotics: You may want to have your gait evaluated and try either foot orthotics or knee braces to help with stability and proper alignment.

When the above measures just don’t work, you should see a doctor who may recommend one of the following procedures.

Knee Replacement

When knee pain becomes too much to bear and starts affecting your daily life, you may need a brand-new knee. Knee replacement surgeries are very successful, and after healing recovery is completed, you will have significant pain relief.

It is generally a short surgery, barring any complications. Some cases will be performed on an outpatient basis but other times you will stay a night in the hospital. This decision is generally based on how much damage there is in your knee joint.

Physical Therapy is key to successful recovery from a knee replacement. You will be guided on range of motion and strengthening exercises, as well as gradual return to activity. Much quicker takes place when strictly adhering to your rehab regimen.

The MACI Procedure

A simpler procedure than a full knee replacement is the MACI Procedure. MACI is indicated for cartilage damage in the knee, which is the most common cause of knee pain. It is a 2-step procedure.

The first step involves harvesting autologous system cells from a non-weight-bearing position of your knee. The stem cells extracted from your knee are primed to grow into fresh new healthy cartilage. Step 2 of the procedure occurs about a month after step 1 where the newly grown cartilage is implanted back into your knee covering or replacing the area of damage.

MACI has a success rate of 80-85% and is a game-changer in the world of knee surgeries. Not every orthopedic surgeon provides this procedure. But Dr. Burke and his team do provide it.